abstraction
n. C / Un. an idea or quality that is not a physical thing. You use this word when talking about concepts like love, justice, or time instead of objects you can touch. In computing, an abstraction is a simplified version of a complex system that lets you focus on what it does rather than how it works.
n. the quality of dealing with ideas rather than events; a concept that is not physical or concrete. Often used in academic or technical contexts to describe theoretical frameworks. In software engineering, abstraction involves hiding complex implementation details behind a simpler interface to reduce complexity and improve design.
Love is an abstraction, not a physical object.
The professor explained that democracy is a complex abstraction.
Modern art often relies on abstraction to convey emotion without realistic detail.
From Middle English abstraccyone; either from Middle French abstraction or from Medieval Latin abstrāctiō (“separation”), from Latin abstrahō (“draw away”). Equivalent to abstract + -ion.
- Nounabstraction
- Nounabstractionism
- Nounabstractionist
- Adjectiveabstractional
- Adjectiveabstractive